Windshield for motorcycles and drive means for a motor vehicle component

ABSTRACT

A windshield for motorbikes which can be variably positioned at various angles of inclination on the motorbike by a holding device ( 6 ) and a drive device ( 8 ). The drive device ( 8 ) has a cable or a cable pull connection ( 22, 23, 24, 25 ) between a drive motor ( 26 ) of the drive device ( 8 ) and a support element ( 16 ) for the adjustable windshield. The holding device ( 6 ) can also be formed by two non-parallel guides ( 11, 19 ) for varying the position of the windshield ( 3 ) in terms of height and/or inclination, when it is moved along the guides ( 13, 19 ). The first guide ( 11 ) is fixed to the vehicle and the second guiding mechanism ( 19 ) is arranged on the windshield ( 3 ). A driveable carriage ( 12 ) which is connected to a support element ( 16 ) for the adjustable windshield and is situated on the first guide ( 11 ) engages a part ( 18 ) which is fixed to the vehicle and is situated on the second guide ( 19 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/250,299 filed Dec. 30, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,757.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a windshield for motorcycles which isadjustably mounted by a holding means on the motorcycle and can beadjusted by a drive means into different positions.

The invention furthermore relates to a windshield for motorcycles whichis adjustably mounted by a holding means on the motorcycle, the holdingmeans having two non-parallel guides for setting different verticaland/or inclined positions of the windshield as it moves along theguides.

Finally, the invention relates to a drive means for an adjustablysupported motor vehicle component, especially a windshield formotorcycles.

2. Description of Related Art

German Patent DE 39 41 875 C1 discloses a windshield which is mounted ona motorcycle so as to be adjustable in its height and its angularorientation by an adjustment means. The adjustment means contains atleast two guide rails arranged at different angles and on each of whicha respective sliding piece is movably supported. The windshield isconnected to the two sliding pieces to be able to pivot around thetransverse axis of the vehicle. An electric motor is located in the areaof the front, lower guide rail and via a threaded rod transfers lineardrive motion to the sliding piece which is supported on the front guiderail. The driving of the sliding piece via the threaded rod or acomparable dimensionally stable drive element limits the possiblelocations of the electric motor in the vicinity of the front guide rail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a windshield ofthe initially mentioned type with a drive device which is improved withrespect to its arrangement and functionality.

Another object of the invention is to provide a windshield of theinitially mentioned type with a holding means with two guides which isadjustably supported by a durable holding means with a simple structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drive means of simplestructure for an adjustable vehicle component.

The initially mentioned object is achieved in accordance with theinvention in that the drive means for the windshield has a cable lineconnection between the drive motor of the drive means and the adjustablewindshield. A cable line connection which is formed, for example, in themanner of a Bowden cable, can be installed flexibly with bends orcurvatures so that the drive means can be attached in the vicinity ofthe windshield or also farther away from it on the motorcycle withoutmajor structural limitations which entail rigid connecting elements,such as spindles or the like.

The initially mentioned object is also achieved in the initiallymentioned windshield in accordance with the invention in that the drivemeans for the windshield has a lever means with at least one pivotallymounted drive lever between the drive motor of the drive means and theadjustable windshield. Rigid coupling by means of a pivotable drivelever enables reliable, play-free actuation and adjustment of thewindshield. The lever ratios on the drive lever can be designed suchthat none of the drive movements applied to the drive lever are steppedup into large driven motions of the drive lever. This yields a compactexecution of the drive unit.

If the drive means for the windshield has a lever means with twosymmetrically arranged drive levers which are each connected on theoutside end to a carriage, which is supported in the middle for pivotingin opposite directions, and which on the inner end are connected to oneanother by means of a movable coupling part, a uniform drive motion canbe applied to two movable bearing parts of the windshield which arespaced apart from one another.

The second object is achieved by the first guide is mounted on thevehicle and the second guide being located on the windshield and by adriven carriage which is connected to the windshield on the first guidewhich is mounted on the vehicle and a vehicle-mounted part on the secondguide located on the windshield being drive-engaged. Thus, both thevehicle-mounted part and also the windshield or the part connected tothe windshield assume a guide function. Functionally, the carriage isconnected via a cable line connection to the drive means. Here, theaforementioned advantages of the flexible arrangement of the drive meansapply. A cable line connection is defined as any connections which areresistant to extension and compression, but which are flexible, andwhich can be flexible installed on the motorcycle, for example, in themanner of a Bowden cable.

Preferably, the windshield is mounted on the windshield bearing partwhich contains the second guide and which is connected to the carriage.In this configuration, the windshield bearing part forms a unit of theholding means and the windshield is interchangeably attached to thewindshield bearing part and the holding means without effort.

If each cable line is guided to a respective one of a right-side and aleft-side windshield bearing part or on two spaced mounting points onthe windshield itself by the drive means, reliable adjustment of thewindshield is ensured by this double driving.

Functionally, the drive means contains a rope pulley on which the cableor the rope of at least one cable or rope line can be wound and unwound.This pulley can have two adjacent peripheral grooves on which two cablelines can be wound and unwound at the same time and in the samedirection so that the two cables, and thus the two windshield bearingparts, are synchronously activated. By means of one of the two cableline connections, at least one other movable part of the motorcycle canbe adjusted synchronously to the motion of the windshield.

In one preferred embodiment, the guides are made as links in whichstationary bearing elements, such as pins or the like, areguide-engaged. If the guides or links are formed to be linear, dependingon the mutual assignment, a uniform adjustment motion is enabled. Whenthe guides or links have at least one curved section, a pivoting motionof the windshield can be superimposed on the linear adjustment motion.Instead of the curved section, any shape of the guide or the linkdeviating from the linear section can make provide a pivoting motion ofthe windshield which deviates from the straight adjustment motion.

Preferably, the first guide or link is made in at least one longitudinalpart of the holding means. This longitudinal part can be a central partof the holding means. Alternatively, there are two longitudinal parts inthe right-side and left-side arrangement for the two windshield bearingparts.

Preferably, the longitudinal part is formed from at least two combinedcomponents which can be divided along the guide. This configurationfacilitates the production of guides and the installation of theassigned components of the holding means, such as, for example, thecarriage.

In the drive means for an adjustably supported vehicle component,especially a windshield for motorcycles, it is provided in accordancewith the invention that the drive means has a cable line connectionbetween the drive motor of the drive means and the vehicle component anda rope pulley on which at least one cable line can be wound and unwoundand is guided by the drive means to the vehicle component or to aright-side and to a left-side vehicle component bearing part.

Furthermore, it is provided that the drive means has a lever means withat least one pivotally supported drive lever between the drive motor ofthe drive means and the adjustable vehicle component.

Further details of the configuration and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from the following description taken together withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view the front part of a motorcycle with an adjustablewindshield;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the holding means of the windshield witha drive device in the initial position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing the drive device withthe covering removed;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIGS. 2 & 3 showing the holding anddrive device in the end position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an inner side of the left-side part ofthe holding means;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the left-side part of the holding means and thedrive device;

FIG. 7 shows in an inside view as shown in FIG. 5, but with the holdingmeans in the end position as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view from above of a second embodiment of aholding means of the windshield with a modified drive device in theinitial position;

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 8, but with the holdingand drive device in the intermediate position;

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 8, but with the holdingand drive device in the end position;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the holding means of the second embodiment inthe initial position according to FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the holding means in the intermediate positionaccording to FIG. 9; and

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the holding means in the end positionaccording to FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The partially depicted motorcycle 1 of FIG. 1 has a cowling 2 and awindshield 3 which is mounted above the cowling 2 by a holding means 4such that it can route the slipstream past the motorcycle driver 5. Ifnecessary, the windshield 3 can be adjusted in its height and/or itsangle of inclination by the holding means 4 out of a most vertical setposition (shown schematically in FIG. 1 in broken lines) into a highlyinclined position (shown in solid lines).

The holding means 4 contains a holding frame 6 (only the part of theleft part of which is shown in FIGS. 2 to 7) with mounting or screwopenings 7 (see, FIGS. 5 & 8) for fixing the holding frame 6 on theframe of the motorcycle 1 or on the cowling 2. A drive means 8 ismounted on the central transverse part 9 of the holding frame 6. On thelongitudinal side parts 10 (only the left longitudinal part 10 beingshown), a linear link guide 11 (see, FIG. 4) with a, for example,rectangular cross section is formed in which an elongated carriage 12 ismovably held. A front bearing pin 13 extends through a side oblong holeopening 14 of the link guide 11 into the bearing hole 15 of a windshieldbearing part 16. The carriage 12 is drive-engaged with a part, e.g., astationary rear bearing pin 18 that projects on the back end 17 of thelongitudinal part 10, laterally to the outside, and fits into the linkguide 19 of the windshield bearing part 16 which is formed as an oblonghole. The guides 11, 19 are non-parallel with respect to each other, asis apparent from the drawings, for varying the position of thewindshield 3 in terms of height and/or inclination, when it is movedalong the guides. The rear bearing pin 18 is located above the linkguide 11, and the link guide 19 of the windshield bearing part 16 runsunderneath the front bearing pin 13 so that the windshield bearing part16 is swung up around the bearing pin 13 if it is pushed lengthwise bymeans of the driven carriage 12 and the bearing pin 13. The windshieldbearing part 16 has mounting openings 20 for attaching the windshield 3.

Next to the link guide 11 and parallel to it, a channel 21 is formed,which connects with the opening 14 of the link guide 11 (see FIG. 5 to7) and in which a drive cable 22, which is connected to the carriage 12,is movably held. The drive cable 22 is movably guided in jacketing 23from the windshield bearing part 16, via a bend 24, to the pulley 25 ofthe central drive means 8. The pulley 25 is mounted on the gear shaft ofthe force transmission mechanism 27 driven by the electric motor 26 (seeespecially FIG. 3), and has a peripheral groove 28 in which the drivecable 22 can be wound and unwound and which is resistant to tension andcompression. By means of a retaining pin 29 which is mounted on the endof the drive cable 22 and which is inserted in a recess of the ropepulley 25, the drive cable 22 is attached to the pulley 25 in theperipheral direction, resistant to extension. The pulley 25 has a secondperipheral groove 30 next to the first peripheral groove 28 in which, inthe same direction of rotation, a second drive cable 31 for theopposing, right-side windshield bearing part (not shown) is located. Thecovering 32 (see FIG. 2) covers and seals the pulley 25.

Next to the link guide 11 and parallel to it, a channel 21 is formed,which connects with the opening 14 of the link guide 11 (see FIG. 5 to7) and in which a drive cable 22, which is connected to the carriage 12,is movably held. The drive cable 22 is movably guided in jacketing 23from the windshield bearing part 16, via a bend 24, to the pulley 25 ofthe central drive means 8. The pulley 25 is mounted on the gear shaft ofthe transmission 27 driven by the electric motor 26 (see especially FIG.3), and has a peripheral groove 28 in which the drive cable 22 can bewound and unwound and which is resistant to tension and compression. Bymeans of a retaining pin 29 which is mounted on the end of the drivecable 22 and which is inserted in a recess of the rope pulley 25, thedrive cable 22 is attached to the pulley 25 in the peripheral direction,resistant to extension. The pulley 25 has a second peripheral groove 30next to the first peripheral groove 28 in which, in the same directionof rotation, a second drive cable 31 for the opposing, right-sidewindshield bearing part (not shown) is located. The covering 32 (seeFIG. 2) covers and seals the pulley 25.

When the electric motor 26 is actuated, for example, via a hand switchon the handlebars or via a speed-dependent or slipstream-dependentcontrol, the drives cables 22, 31 are taken up at the same time from theposition shown in FIG. 1 in which the two windshield bearing parts 16are located in the front position and hold the windshield 3 in the lowervertical position with a slight upward inclination, via rotation of thecable pulley 25 so that, via rearward displacement of the respectivecarriage 12, the windshield bearing parts 16, and thus the windshield 3,are raised and inclined more dramatically against the slipstream. Theend position is shown in FIGS. 4 & 7.

The opposing drive motion of the electric motor 26 moves the windshield3 back again into the reclined position or into an intermediateposition.

If the link guide 11 is positioned so that it rises over its lengthrelative to the lengthwise axis of the motorcycle, the front bearing pin13, and thus the windshield bearing part 16 and the windshield 3, areadditionally raised in its vertical position.

One or both link guides 11, 19 can have angled or curved sections sothat a certain swinging behavior of the windshield 3 which is dependenton the lengthwise displacement can be fixed.

The largely flexibly installable drive cables 22, 31 of the drive means8 enable a comparatively free arrangement of the drive means 8 relativeto the movable holding means 4 or to the windshield 3 so that theelectric motor 26 with the transmission 27 and the pulley 25 can also belocated away from the holding means 4 and at angular positions to it,which is something which could be accomplished by a conventionalmechanical coupling only with high construction cost.

In another embodiment of the windshield (see, FIGS. 8 to 13), with amodified drive means, the holding means 4 contains a drive pulley 33(see FIG. 11) which is located on the central transverse part 9 in themiddle between the two side longitudinal parts 10 (only the leftlongitudinal part 10 is shown) and is pivotally supported on it and iscoupled to rotate with the electric motor 26 via the transmissionmechanism 27. The drive wheel 33 is covered by a cover 34 which ismounted on the transverse part 9. The carriage 12 of the windshieldbearing part 16 is U-shaped and sits movably on the guide 11 which isformed as a rail. On the two brackets 35, which project inward from thecarriage 12, a pin 36 is mounted on which a left drive lever 37 ispivotally supported. The drive lever 37 extends roughly to the middle ofthe transverse part 9, resting directly on the cover 34, and supportedto move and pivot on a pin 38 which projects upward, for example, fromthe cover 34 and which is held to be able to move into an elongated hole39 in the drive lever 37.

A right drive lever 40 for driving the right windshield bearing part orits carriage is located symmetrically to the left drive lever 37 and issupported in the corresponding manner by means of a pin 42 which fitsinto the longitudinal slot 41. The right drive lever 40 has an inner end43 which is bent up such that this end 43 rests on the inner end 44 ofthe left drive lever 37. The inner ends 43, 44 of two drive levers 37,40, each contain a longitudinal guide slot 45, 46 in which is held amovable coupling part, e.g., the guide pin 47 which is mounted on asliding piece 48 which is movably supported in a longitudinal guide 49on the cover 34. A drive part, e.g., a guide pin 50 which iseccentrically mounted on the drive wheel 33 extends through anarc-shaped slot 51 in the cover 34 (which defines a circular path) upinto the longitudinal guide slot 45 in the drive lever 37 (as shown) orinto the lengthwise hole 46 of the right drive lever 40.

A right drive lever 40 for driving the right windshield bearing part orits carriage is located symmetrically to the left drive lever 37 and issupported in the corresponding manner by means of a pin 42 which fitsinto the longitudinal slot 41. The right drive lever 40 has an inner end43 which is bent up such that this end 43 rests on the inner end 44 ofthe left drive lever 37. The inner ends 43, 44 of two drive levers 37,40, each contain a longitudinal guide slot 45, 46 in which is held theguide pin 47 which is mounted on a sliding piece 48 which is movablysupported in a longitudinal guide 49 on the cover 34. A pin 50 which iseccentrically mounted on the drive wheel 33 extends through anarc-shaped slot 51 in the cover 34 up into the longitudinal guide slot45 in the drive lever 37 (as shown) or into the lengthwise hole 46 ofthe right drive lever 40.

To change the position of the windshield 3, the drive means 8 causes thedrive wheel 33 to rotate and swings the windshield 3, for example, by anangle of a maximum roughly 130° clockwise as shown in FIGS. 8 to 13. Indoing so, the pin 50, which slides in the longitudinal guide slot 45,pivots the left drive lever 37 around the pin 38 so that the drive lever37 moves the carriage 12, and thus, the left windshield bearing part 16to the rear via the middle intermediate position shown in FIGS. 9 & 12into the end position which is shown in FIGS. 10 & 13 and in which thewindshield 3 is raised to have a greater inclination.

As a result of the pin 50 which couples the two drive levers 37, 40 toone another, the drive motion is transferred to the two drive levers 37,40 for their synchronous movement.

This embodiment has a small installation depth of the drive, since thedrive motion takes place via the drive lever which pivots through only acomparatively small angle. The rotary motion of the pin 50 in thevicinity of the two end positions causes only minor pivoting of the twodrive levers 37, 40, so that starting and braking take place gently inthe vicinity of the two end positions.

The drive means 8 is controlled via Hall sensors in the drive motorand/or via microswitches which are triggered via the drive wheel 33.There can also be a comparable control in the first embodiment.

1. Windshield arrangement for motorcycles, comprising: a windshield, anda holding means for adjustably mounting the windshield on a motorcycle,wherein the holding means has two non-parallel guides at each ofopposite lateral sides of the windshield arrangement for settingpositions which differ in at least one of vertical height and angle ofinclination of the windshield as the windshield moves along the guides,a first of the guides being mountable on the motorcycle and a second ofthe guides being connected to the windshield, and wherein a drivencarriage connected to the windshield is located on the first of theguides and is drive-engaged with a part on the second of the guides. 2.Windshield arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carriage isconnected via a cable connection to a drive means.
 3. Windshieldarrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the windshield is mounted ona windshield bearing part which contains the second of the guides andwhich is connected to the carriage.
 4. Windshield arrangement as claimedin claim 2, wherein a respective cable is guided to a right-side and aleft-side windshield bearing part by the drive means.
 5. Windshieldarrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the drive means comprises apulley on which at least one cable is wound and unwound.
 6. Windshieldarrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pulley has two adjacentperipheral grooves on which two cable lines are wound and unwound in thesame direction.
 7. Windshield arrangement as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe guides are links.
 8. Windshield arrangement as claimed in claim 1,wherein the guides are linear.
 9. Windshield arrangement as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the guides have at least one curved section. 10.Windshield arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first guide ismade in a longitudinal part of the holding means.
 11. Windshield asclaimed in claim 10, wherein the longitudinal part comprises at leasttwo components which are divisible along the guide.